"Stop talking," Justin said.
“You’ve been a horrible brother,” she screamed, not knowing where her courage came from. “When I was just a little girl, you started touching me. You forced me to come up here and live in this place. I will never forgive you for what you've done."
"I've taken care of you all your life, Lola. You are an ungrateful bitch."
He held fast to her arm and slapped her smartly across the face. Her cheek stung, and she screamed. A tear rolled down her face, but she didn't weep.
Justin's face was a mask of horrified glee as the sound of bullets grew louder at the mouth of the cave. The blast echoed continuously through the long cavern and it pricked her senses with each pop. Justin grabbed her other shoulder and shook her.
"Don't you understand what we were trying to do here?" he screamed. "We were trying to save the world, for people like you, Lola!”
"No, not for me," Lola insisted. "You were doing it for yourself, and your own twisted sense of justice. Grow up and be a man, Justin. Stop blaming everyone else for your problems. The shifters never did anything to you.”
"Never did anything to me? Have you seen what happened to the humans of this town since the shifters started moving in?"
"That's mostly because of you, Justin," Lola said. "You've been poisoning that entire human population of Fate Mountain with your sick drugs and your empty promises."
"You are blind and small minded," he said, yanking her further into the cave. They marched on and the sound of bullets grew fainter in the distance. It was narrow and damp at this point in the cavern. Drips of water slid down the sides of the cave and dropped into her hair.
"Where are you taking me?"
"I’m taking you where no one will find you," he said.
"You have to stop, Justin. You can't keep doing this."
"There's only one way that this ends, little sister," Justin sneered. "And that's with both of us dead."
Lola started to scream for help at the top of her lungs. Her voice reverberated through the caverns, but Justin grabbed her and covered her mouth. She tried to bite him, but he only held her tighter. She was forced to walk backwards and be drug across the uneven surface of the cave floor.
She knew that he had a pistol. He was going to kill them both. Fear coursed through her body, pulsing through her veins. She lost all her strength and began to weep. Justin just dragged her more roughly through the jagged spikes on the floor of the cave.
She could barely breathe under his hand and she was violently sobbing. She jammed her arm backwards and punched her elbow into his crotch. He groaned and doubled over. Lola skidded away, trying to run in the direction they'd come. But Justin righted himself and grabbed her before she could run three steps. She screamed out for help again, but this time he punched her and darkness fell. The last thing she remembered was praying that Gauge would find her.
13
Gauge hurried through the cavern, trying to pick up Lola’s scent. The gunfire popped behind him and echoed through the cavern. He heard a shrill scream up ahead and knew that it was Lola.
He hurried on, trying to catch up with them. If Justin Lockheart did anything to his mate, he wouldn't be responsible for what he did to the man. His inner bear was pushing to come out, but Gauge knew that he was better off in human form. Justin was armed and the best defense against an armed assailant was being armed himself.
He carried his glock in one hand and the Maglite in the other, carefully sliding along the cavern wall. Lola’s scent grew stronger, and he could make out the faint sound of voices ahead of him in the distance. He heard another scream and then the crack of a fist on the flesh. That psycho had just hit his mate!
Gauge roared, barely able to stay in human form. He jumped into a sprint, barreling down the length of the cavern until he came to a sharp turn. He glanced around the corner, seeing Justin standing over Lola's limp form that lay sprawled across the rocky floor.
Justin held his gun pointed at Lola's head. Gauge shot around the corner and pulled the trigger on his Glock, the bullet flying through the air and shooting the gun out of Justin Lockheart's hand.
Justin's gun went flying and Gauge barreled toward him, knocking him on the ground. Gauge pulled the handcuffs out of his back pocket and fastened them around Justin’s wrists.
"You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent…" Gauge said, reading Justin his rights.
He didn't believe the man should be given any rights, but Gauge believed in the law. He was a police officer. He was doing his duty just like he had when he was in the military.
His mission was to protect innocent people who could not protect themselves. That meant upholding the social contracts that society had agreed upon. That meant all criminals had a right to a trial and to understand why they were under arrest in the first place.
"Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law."
As soon as Gauge had handcuffed Justin and read him his rights he turned him over and punched him in the face, knocking him out cold.
Then he stood and hurried to Lola, turning her over to face him. Her thick black hair was smashed over her face, and it looked as if she had a black eye.
He put his fingers to her throat, feeling her pulse. It was strong, just like her. He carefully picked her up, grabbed the headlamp off of Justin's head, and carried Lola out of the cavern. The gunfire at the cave mouth had ceased. As he approached the lab, the rest of the Bear Patrol were reading rights to the gang members who had finally surrendered.
"Justin Lockheart is cuffed and unconscious at the back of the cavern," Gauge told Rollo.
"Good job, Gauge," Rollo said. "Now get your mate out of here and take her somewhere safe.”
Gauge hurried out into the yard where the helicopter had landed. He quickly lifted Lola inside, and the pilot agreed to take him back to town before coming back for the rest of the criminals who'd been arrested at the compound.
It was still dark outside but the moon was high and bright as the chopper lifted into the air. He held Lola in his arms, praying that she would be all right. The chopper landed in the police hanger of the small airport in Fate Mountain Village and there was an ambulance waiting for them as soon as they arrived.
The EMTs helped Gauge get Lola out of the helicopter and into the ambulance. He rode with her all the way to the hospital and sat beside her gurney as the doctors examined her. They told him she had a concussion but was otherwise okay.
When she finally came to, an hour later. She gasped at the sight of herself in the dimly lit hospital room. She looked down at her arm, seeing an IV, and then put her hand to her face where she had been hit.
"What happened?" she asked groggily.
"It's over. We've taken down your brother and his men."
"Where is my mother's cameo?" she asked, looking down at her hospital gown.
"I found it in your jacket pocket when the nurses changed you into the hospital gown.
"What's going to happen to Justin?" Lola asked.
"He will probably rot in jail."
"That's what he deserves," Lola said, her voice hoarse.
"What he's done to the people of Fate Mountain is unforgivable."
"What he did to my mother was also unforgivable," Lola said.
"What did he do to your mother?"
"Years ago, soon after my stepfather decided to take me out of public school, my mother was found dead in the woods. Shot in the back of the head. After that, Justin said something to me that made me believe that he had been involved at his father's request to take out my mother. They never found any evidence and her case was considered unresolved. But I always believed that my stepfather and my stepbrother had something to do with it."
"The Bear Patrol is going through the compound right now, if there's any evidence that connects Justin Lockheart to your mother's murder case, we will find it.”
"I can't believe you got me off that mountain," Lola said. "I thought th
at I would die there."
"I would never let that happen to you."
"I guess this place isn't called Fate Mountain for nothing," she said in a low voice. "I never really believed in fate before you arrived at the compound. Now, I can't believe in anything else."
"Shifters have always believed in fate. That's why we keep ourselves on the side of the good. It was our belief in fate that allowed us to help bring an end to the great war. Fate rewards the good in the end. And it's rewarded me with the most beautiful, most courageous, most magnificent woman I ever could have imagined being mated with."
"Gauge, I just can't believe how lucky I am. I don't feel like I deserve you."
"Why would you ever say that?" Gauge asked.
"Because of all of the things I've done. I've been involved in Justin's crystal operation. I worked in the lab for an entire year. I am partially responsible for what is happening to the people of Fate Mountain. I feel I should be punished for it."
"Nonsense. I never want to hear you say that again. Your stepbrother forced you to do those things. You were a prisoner at the compound with no means of escape. Look at what he did to you."
Gauge pointed at her face and Lola closed her eyes, a tear squeezing out from between her eyelids.
"You're right. I never wanted to be there. But I should have run away. I should have found a way to leave. I think I've been a coward."
"You are anything but a coward, Lola," Gauge said. "You are the strongest person I know. You survived Justin Lockheart and still have an open heart. That takes the most courage of all. Don't you see? Remaining a loving person in the face of fear, anger and despair is the most courageous anyone on this planet is capable of being. It doesn't take a big muscular man with a big dangerous gun to be courageous. Sometimes courage is in the heart of a survivor who refuses to give in to the fear and the pain."
"Oh, Gauge," Lola said. "You make me feel like maybe I can live again. Maybe I can have a real life of my own.”
14
Lola spent another half of a day in the hospital, getting filled up with fluids and nutritional supplements to help with her malnutrition. By the time they released her from the hospital, she was feeling better than she had in a long time.
Her eye still stung from where Justin had hit her, but it was a small thing compared to the excitement of finally having her freedom. Gauge had sat beside her the entire time at the hospital, and asked questions every time a nurse or doctor came into the room.
She’d been up at the compound for so long, driving through town almost felt overwhelming to her. Fate Mountain was a small community but there were more people driving down the street and walking on the sidewalks than she had seen in over a year.
When Gauge drove up in front of his house and parked his truck, he helped her out and they walked up the front path together. His front yard was slightly overgrown but there were healthy hedges under the front windows of his craftsman style house.
They took the steps on the front porch where Lola noticed two Adirondack chairs sitting beside each other. They faced the front yard and the established street, lined with old maple trees that were full of green leaves. The trees cast shadow over Gauge’s front lawn. It was a lovely neighborhood and Lola felt her heart swell, just thinking of what it must be like to be part of the world again.
Gauge unlocked the front door, and they walked inside. It was cool and dark in the front room, but he pushed back the curtains and let the light in. Lola looked around at the stone fireplace and the big screen TV on the far wall. Gauge had big leather couches and an easy chair facing the television.
“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll get us something to drink.”
Lola was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt with a pair of flip-flops that had been provided for her at the hospital. Her own clothing had been too ripped and dirty to put back on. She kicked off the flip-flops and tucked her feet up under herself, feeling the soft cushions of the couch under her skin.
She hadn't felt such comfort in so very long that it made her let out a long sigh of pleasure. Gauge came back in the room with two tall glasses of iced tea. She took a sip of the tea and reveled in the smooth, sweet flavor. She smiled up at him as he sat next to her and wrapped his arm around the back of the couch where she sat.
"This is a really nice house," she said, taking another sip of tea.
"I like it," he said, looking around his living room. "I don't spend that much time here because I'm usually deeply involved in my cases. But I plan to be home much more often now. Especially since we've taken out Justin's gang and the main source of crystal in the area."
"It was a tremendous accomplishment for you," she said reaching out to touch his arm.
He met her gaze and wrapped his big hand over her small one. She felt the warmth of his palm radiate through the back of her hand and an electric shiver went through her body.
She remembered the erotic moments they'd shared back up on the mountain. It seemed like a lifetime ago when it had only been the night before. After everything that had gone down in the last twenty-four hours, sitting with Gauge in his home now made her feel a little unsure and shy.
Gauge wrapped his fingers around her hand and brought her knuckles to his mouth where he kissed the sensitive flesh between her fingers. Lola's eyes fluttered closed, and she let out a soft moan.
"What happens now?" she asked, opening her eyes again to see Gauge’s eyes shining back at her.
"We should probably get to know each other better since we're mates," he said reluctantly.
"That is probably a good first step," she agreed.
"For one thing, I'm actually blonde," he said.
"You are?" she asked surprised.
"This is temporary hair dye. My beard is blonde too."
She giggled and then covered her mouth with her other hand
"I have to see that.”
"I have blue eyes too," he said, pointing at his eyes. "These are just contact lenses. I was in disguise for my undercover mission."
"Now I have to see what you really look like," she said.
"I'll be right back. Get ready to see the man you’ve been mated with."
She nodded at him with a smile as he stood from the couch. She watched his delicious behind as he walked down the hallway towards the stairs.
Lola waited for Gauge to get cleaned up and shaved while she sat downstairs on his comfortable couch. She found the remote control sitting on his coffee table and tried to figure out how to turn on the television.
It had been so long since she had been in a household with any kind of modern technology so it took her fifteen minutes to figure out how to turn on the TV. By the time she found something entertaining to watch, she heard Gauge walking down the stairs. He turned the corner and stood before her, clean shaven, shirtless, with his blue eyes shining at her. She gasped. He was stunning. She covered her mouth and her eyes went wide.
"That bad, huh?" he asked.
"No, that good," she said, standing.
She walked across the room and wrapped her arms around him. He kissed the top of her head as she leaned into him and rested her cheek against his chest. Gauge wrapped her in his big strong arms and held her close. His embrace drowned out all of the pain of the past in that moment. She loved being with him in his home and the revelation of how he really looked was just another piece of the puzzle.
"Gauge," she whispered as he held her close to his bare chest, rippled with hard muscle. "I don't know how to be in the world anymore."
A tear slid out of her eye and dripped on his bulging pectoral muscle. She stifled a sob, but her body shuddered in Gauge’s arms.
"You're going to be just fine, babe. I'll be right here beside you. I'm going to give you everything that you've been missing all this time. You don't have to jump back in all at once."
"I don't even know where to start."
"Well," he said leaning back to inspect her. "Most ladies like pretty things. I think you look ho
t as hell in anything you wear, I imagine that you would like something a little more feminine than those gray sweatpants."
She looked down at her clothes and then looked back up at Gauge. "I haven't had new clothes in so long. Most of what I've been wearing was small men's clothes bulk purchased for Justin's gang."
"We need to do something about that. I'm going to take you shopping in Portland at the best boutiques in town. You can buy anything you want."
"I couldn't," she objected.
"Of course you can. After you've rested, I'm going to take you into the city to go shopping. But for now, I want you to just hang out around the house, watch TV, and eat as much food as you can fit in your belly."
She rested against his chest and let out a deep sigh. "What did I do to deserve such a wonderful man?"
"The real question is, what did I do to deserve you."
He squeezed her and then let her go, telling her to relax on the couch while he made something for lunch. She happily obeyed and flipped through the channels to find something mindless on TV that Justin would've absolutely hated.
It gave her a little thrill just to know that she was doing something that her stepbrother would've never allowed her to do in a million years. The women on the reality TV show were dressed in fabulous clothes and were shopping for more.
This was exactly what she needed to see right now. She wanted to be beautiful and fabulous just like these women on TV, and Gauge was going to help her.
Gauge came back into the living room with a tray of sandwiches and more iced tea that he sat on the coffee table in front of Lola. He sat down beside her and they shared a meal, watching reality TV. Gauge didn't complain once, but gasped and laughed and talked to the TV at the same time that she did.
They spent several hours together just hanging out on the couch doing nothing and it was probably the most fun Lola had had in as long as she could remember. If just one day of hanging out at home with Gauge was this enjoyable, she couldn't even imagine what the rest of her life would be like.